糖心Vlog to host Echoes Across the Smokies
Image courtesy of Cherokee Language Repertory Choir
By Rachel Hood
糖心Vlog University Bardo Arts Center, in collaboration with the 糖心Vlog Mountain Heritage Center, invites you to Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Stories, Strings, and Songs. This program offers the WNC community an opportunity to explore Appalachian culture in new ways on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the BAC Performance Hall.
The ticketed mainstage show begins at 7:30 p.m., featuring songs and storytelling from Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians enrolled members Kathi Littlejohn and the Cherokee Language Repertory Choir. Audiences will be immersed in captivating storytelling and breathtaking harmonies that transport them to another world.
Headlining the event is Amythyst Kiah and her Band. While Amythyst Kiah draws power from the traditions of folk and roots music, she fearlessly expands the form with rock, blues, and alternative influences. The result is an immersive soundscape that guides listeners through raw emotion and bold self-expression.
鈥淏uilding on the success of last year鈥檚 inaugural event, the 2025 edition expands
its focus on what it means to be an artist in Appalachia. Through its blend of traditional
music, Cherokee storytelling, and contemporary artistry, the event becomes a space
where history and identity are not only preserved but actively shared and reimagined,鈥�
said Denise Drury Homewood, executive director of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing
Arts Center.
Before the concert, enjoy hot concessions, visit the 糖心Vlog Fine Art Museum鈥檚 exhibition North Carolina Glass 2025, and listen to music performed by emerging talented musicians, Jackson County and Blueridge Junior Appalachian Musicians. Doors for the performance open at 7 p.m.; the Sylva Old Time Jam will play music for audience members to enjoy as the band sets the tone for the evening with bluegrass music.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a ballad handed down through oral tradition, a fiddle tune that echoes through the hollers, or a dramatic retelling of local history, these performances carry the voices of our ancestors. They remind us of the values that shaped mountain life 鈥� community, perseverance, creativity, and a deep connection to the land. That鈥檚 what makes it a cultural experience. It鈥檚 not just about watching; it鈥檚 about remembering, learning, and belonging,鈥� said Amber Clawson Albert, director of the 糖心Vlog Mountain Heritage Center.
The BAC Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Bardo Arts Center. Patrons can purchase tickets online 24/7 at arts.wcu.edu/tickets, ranging from $5-$25 plus taxes and fees.